Flush box cover



May 15, 1962 F. P. SCULLY, JR 3,034,678

FLUSH BOX COVER Filed Nov. 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR.

FRANK P SCULLY JR.

BY ram can ,W

ATTORNEYS May 1-5, 19 2 F. P. SCULLY, JR 3,034,678

FLUSH- BOX COVER Filed Nov. 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

FIG.4 FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

FRANK P SCULLY JR. BY

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,034,678 FLUSH BOX COVER Frank P.Scully, Jr., New York, N.Y., assignor to Scully Signal Company, Melrose,Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 19, 1959, Ser. No.854,070 1 Claim. (Cl. 2203.8)

This invention relates to the fuel oil industry. In certain cities,particularly Philadelphia, it has been customary to position the outerends of the fill pipe and vent pipe of -a fuel oil tank in a deviceknown in the trade as a flush box. This box is generally positioned inthe foundation wall of the building with its outer side substantiallyflush with the outer side of the foundation. Heretofore the flush boxface has been covered with a plate which concealed the outer ends of thefill pipe and vent pipe. The screw plug closing the end of the fill pipewas Within the confines of the sides of the box and was concealed by thecovering plate which was customarily aifixed ,to the box by suitablescrews. which System has necessitated certain piping additions at thebox. These additions, however, normally extend beyond the face of thebox, making it impossible to continue the use of the conventional coverplate.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed toward the provision of anew and novel type of cover plate which cooperates with and effectivelycovers the front of the box, protecting the end of the vent pipe whileallowing certain elements of the modified filling system to projectthrough an opening in the cover plate. The cover plate instead of beingscrewed to the face of the box as in the prior practice is maintained incooperative position against the box by the coaction of securing meanson the cover plate which are removably aflixed to the piping thatprotrudes through the plate from the face of the box.

The invention will be more particularly understood as the descriptionproceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 showsthe general arrangement of a fuel tank in the basement of a buildingwith the connecting fill and vent pipes terminating in a flush boxlocated in the building wall.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the complete assembly showingthe extension of the fill pipe and the closure cap afiixed thereto.

In recent years, an improved system for connecting the fuel truck hoseto the fill pipe has been developed,

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2 showing thecover plate in elevation and the means for attaching the plate to thefill pipe extension.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a modified form of cover plate adapted tobe used on a box in which the vent pipe and fill pipe are side-by-siderather than one over the other.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the cover plate shown in FIG. 4.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated one form of conventionalarrangement found in buildings that use fuel oil. A tank 2 positioned onthe cellar floor 4 has a fill pipe 6 through which fuel oil is fed tothe tank and a vent pipe 8 through which the displaced gas is dischargedfrom the tank. The fill pipe 6 and the vent pipe 8 are shown in FIG. 1connected to a flush box generally referred to at 10 with the fill pipebeing connected to a lower tubular neck 12 and the vent pipe connectedto an upper tubular neck 14. It is customary for the fill pipe to bescrewed into the neck 12 to make a liquid tight connection, but the endof vent pipe 8 may be merely slid into the extension 10.

As illustrated more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3 the flush 3,034,678Patented May 15, 1962 box comprises a rectangular front element 16 whichlies substantially flush with the wall 18 in which the box ispositioned. The tubular neck 12 is threaded as at 20 to engagecorresponding threads 22 on the end of fill pipe 6. The upper extension14 has a circular opening 24 therethrough into which the end 26 of ventpipe 8 may be received.

The outer end of the passage 28 through the neck 12 Y terminates in ashort upwardly directed elbow 29 which is threaded as at 30. Accordingto the prior practice, the threads 30 would receive a correspondinglythreaded plug which would effectively close the outer end of the fillpipe when the device was not in use. Now, however, in order to speed upthe delivery of fuel oil, it is customary to position in the threads 30a short nipple 32 on the outer end of which is screwed a device known asan adaptor 34. The outer end of this adaptor has a single coarse threadto which may be applied a closure cap 36. Because of the length of thenipple 32 and adaptor 34, the closure cap necessarily extends anappreciable distance beyond the face of the wall 18 and therefore cannotbe covered by a face plate in the same manner in which the plug formerlyapplied to the threads 30 was covered.

Accordingly, I have designed a cover plate for the flush box of new andnovel characteristics which may be atfixed in place by attachment not tothe flush box but to one of the extended piping elements. These elementsmay be either the nipple 32 or the adaptor 34, depending upon the exactlength of these parts in relation to the cover plate securing means.

As can be plainly seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover plate comprises arectangular element 38 which has across its upper portion a plurality oflouvers comprising transversely extending ports 39 with sloping,outwardly extending, hoods 40. These hoods are closed at their ends asat 41 to give maximum protection against the entry of rain or snow intothe vent and fill pipes. These louvers are located immediately in frontof the end of vent pipe 8 and the passage 24 through the neck 14. Inthis manner gas leaving the Vent pipe can flow freely to the atmospherethrough the louvers 40.

Below the louvers is a generally oval shaped opening 42 through theplate 38. The lateral dimension of this opening is such that the platemay be passed over the outer end of adaptor 34 when the cap 36 has beenremoved. On either side of opening 42 are a pair of upstanding ears 44through each of which extends a set screw 36 having a pointed inner end48. The configuration of opening 42 is such that it will fit quiteclosely about the upwardly sloping fill pipe extension 32-34 when insecured position on the face of the flush box.

When the plate 38 has been placed against the face 50 of the flush box10, the louvers 40 will be in front of the discharge end of the ventpipe 8 and the adaptor 34 or the nipple 32 Will lie between the setscrews 46. The set screws 46 may be screwed tightly against oppositesides of the adaptor 34 or the nipple 32, as the case may be, and thepointed ends 48 will imbed themselves sufficiently in the adaptor ornipple to maintain the cover plate securely in place over the face ofthe box. By using set screws that have heads that may be driven by ascrew driver to the right only, it is difficult for children or othersto dislodge the cover plate from its secured position.

When the fuel oil truck man wishes to make a delivery, he removes cap36, which is on the exterior side of the affixed cover plate, and thenconnects the nozzle 62 (see FIG. 1), by means that is well known in thetrade, to the adaptor 34 in liquid tight relation. Filling may thenproceed with oil entering the tank through hose 64, nozzle 62 and fillpipe 6. The displaced gas will be discharged through the vent pipe 8 andthe louvers 40 to the atmosphere.

A modified form of cover plate is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In thisconstruction the cover plate indicated at 52 has the louvers 54 at oneside and the oval opening 56 at the other side. The ears 58 and setscrews 60 are similar to the cars 44 and set screws 46 alreadydescribed. The cover plate 52 is applied to the flush box in the samemanner as plate 38 so that the same protection is afiorded to thedischarge end of the vent pipe while enabling the outer end of the fillpipe to be available for use when required.

All of the dimensions of the cover plate may be varied at will to meetthe dimensional conditions found in the flush box with which the plateis to be used, but in all cases there will be an opening through whichthe extended portion of the fill pipe may pass with the ears and setscrews so located that the set screws may be brought into securingengagement with the extended portion of the fill pipe.

It is my intention to cover all changes and modifications of the exampleof the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which donot constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

An improved flush box assembly comprising a rectangular flush box havingfilling and venting passages extending through the rear wall of said boxto fill and vent a fuel oil tank, a rectangular plate extending beyondthe outlines of the open side of said fiush box, said plate having aseries of horizontal hooded louvers in the upper portion and an ovalshaped hole in the bottom portion, a nipple having one end in permanentthreaded engagement with the fill pipe within said flush box andextending at an inclined angle upwardly through said hole with theremaining end projecting beyond the outer surface of said plate, a pairof ears projecting outwardly from said plate located on opposite sidesof said hole, a set screw threaded through each of said ears to engagesaid nipple and retain said plate thereon, a nozzle adapter forconnection with an oil delivery hose secured to said remaining end ofsaid nipple, and a removable closure cap engaged with said adapter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,751,262 Brown Mar. 18, 1930 2,218,371 Zachar Oct. 15, 1940 2,599,162Brown June 3, 1952

